Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Chinese Noodle Recipe Biography
Source(google.com.pk)Chow Mein is the most popular recipe on Rasa Malaysia. This Chow Mein recipe was originally published on August 19, 2008. Updated with new photos. Popular and All-Time Favorite Chinese recipes: Broccoli Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork, Egg Drop Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Fried Rice, Orange Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and more.Chinese invented the noodles and changed the way we eat, that’s not an overstatement. As a Chinese, noodles and rice are something I can’t do without. I use Chinese noodles a lot in everyday cooking and can’t even begin to think how my culinary experiences would have been, if noodles were never invented.Chinese noodles are versatile and there are so many ways to prepare them—stir-fry, pan-fry, boil, blanch, soup, gravy, or dry. I could never get bored of noodles. It’s one of the easiest foods to prepare at home, and the end results are always satisfying.Chow Mein (Chinese Noodles)One of the most popular Chinese noodles in the US is chow mein or literally “fried noodles” (炒面) in Cantonese dialect. Chow mein is also a favorite Chinese take-out item. Some shredded vegetables, some protein–either chicken, pork, beef, seafood, or combination—and you will have a perfect chow mein that is cheap, filling, and sinfully gratifying. Yeah, I am talking about that grease at the bottom of the chow mein.Making chow mein or any Chinese noodles at home doesn’t have to be complicated, if you know which noodles to buy (which according to many non-Asians, it’s the toughest part of it all). I have to say that the varieties of Chinese noodles available in the market are rather overwhelming; however, if you narrow down your selection, things would get a lot easier—and manageable. So, let’s start with chow mein, which is also the name used for fresh noodles.I did some research over the weekend and found that there are two kinds of chow mein sold at the market: 1) steamed chow mein (pictured below), and 2) pan-fried chow mein. They are practically the same Chinese noodles, but the latter tends to be dryer and hence it’s for pan-fried purposes. I prefer steamed chow mein.Steamed Chow MeinNow that you have narrowed down your Chinese noodles selection, the cooking process is really easy. In Asia, chow mein are mostly cooked with bean sprouts, but I noticed that fried noodles served at Chinese restaurants in the US usually come with shredded cabbages and carrot, which are great, too.The earliest written records from any culture talking about noodles date to the East Han Dynasty, about 2000 years ago. Recent archaeological excavations have uncovered actual 4000-year-old noodles at a site in Qinghai in remote western China.During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) - the height of Silk Road trade and cultural exchange - cities like ancient Chang’an (today’s Xi’an) hosted 24-hour noodle shops! Even today, noodle stands and quick-serve restaurants can be found in most every neighborhood all across East Asia.There are three main families of Chinese noodles, based on the main ingredient: wheat flour, rice flour, or starch. Within each noodle family there are many varieties; as much diversity as you’ll find in the pasta aisle of your local supermarket. Depending on the part of China where each noodle type is commonly used, it may have different names from different dialects - and it will be called something else altogether in Japanese, Thai, Korean, Tagalog, or Hawaiian. Manufacturers selling noodles to Western markets may even package them using Italian names!Chinese noodles have a long and well-established history. It was recorded as early as in Eastern Han Dynasty, which was over 1,900 years ago, that noodles were originally called "cakes", with "water boiled cake" being the ancestor of Chinese noodles. According to Liuxi's "Shi Ming" ("Meaning of Names"), "cake" was a generic name of any food made out of the combination of water and flour, including water boiled flour strips or flour blocks.Wheat noodles can be made with or without eggs. In southern China, duck eggs are often used instead of chicken eggs to achieve a thinner and more pliable effect, whereas in the north, lye is added to flour and water to make the noodles soft.•Lo mein•Cho mein - in Japan, it became Udon - very thick noodles, almost a square cross-section. Can be bought dried, but also available in convenient frozen bricks. The noodle commonly used in Taiwan- and Shanghai-style Beef Noodle Soup.•La mian - in Japan, it became Ramen - and then went on to conquer the world, one college student at a time•Cold noodles•Yi mian (yi fu - or - E-fu) - flour is mixed directly with egg; no water is used. This is said to be the “must have” noodle. It comes packaged in large round cakes